Aviation goggles



March 6, 1934. w so r AL 1,949,595

AVIATION GOGGLES Filed June 21, 1950 clearly defined in the claims,

20 line 2-2 of Fig. 1.:.

1 with the mask-skirt b} in the integral molding,

- Patented Mar.

PATENT; oF-Fice AVIATION cocdnns Frederick Willson, near Reading, and Harry E.

Shindel, Reading, Pa., assignors to Willson Products, Inc.,. Reading, Pa., a corporation of a Pennsylvania Application June 21, 193 0, Serial No. 462,740

7 Claims.

This invention relates to goggles especiallysuitable for use in aviation, and it consists in the improvements hereinafter fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and The purpose of the invention is to provide a simple and improved construction adapted to insure satisfactory facial contact, with proper con-.

ditioning of the eye-cup air chambers and with convenient and assured retention of the lenses both in service and in the handling incident to convenient folding up of the goggles and applying of themto the face; and the several novel features of construction which cooperate 'to these ends are fully described as embodied in the preferred specific form of goggles illustrated.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a g gles fully embodying the vention.

Fig. 2 is a sect onal plan view, taken on the Fig. 3 is a :plan view indicating a permitted folded-together arrangement of the goggles when out of service, and showing a different view of the tubular-and-flatportion of one 'of the vac- 5 uum-prcducing. head-bands employed.

Fig. 4 is a separate view of the aperture regulator employed for determinedly varying the communication with the eye-cup chambers.

The goggles framing shown is preferably 'formed of suitable rubber of equivalent elastic material, cast integrally in amold conformed as required; the same comprising, as indicated, the united pair of lens-rings a a at' the front thereof and the rearwardly-extending circumferenm1 skirt portion forming a close facial mask 6 and enclosed eye-cup chambers c c in the ap-.- plied goggles: Each of the lens-rings a a being formed with a lens-gripping inner-wall recess indicated at 10, and said face-contacting mask being united thereto so as to permit of free 'bend-' ing without tending 'to loosen the rings, and being also adapted for automatically insuring a desired vacuum in-the air-cup chambers; all. as hereinafter fully set forth.

Thepairoflensr'ingsaamaybe [so as to lie in a determined plane, and be subsequently cut-apart on a rlght-ansul rline 1-1 down to theconnecting mask-skirt leaving only a hinging-connection between the rings; such toabuttinzpm iqnotthecuwnmrmu rigidl united sentially a pair of air-discharging tubes 20, 20

Each of the rings an; is of approximately circular cross-sectional form as indicated, and is provided interiorly with an undercut circumferential lens-grip recess 10, so that the normally closed-together inner portions l111 of the ring will be spread apart by the inserting of the cir.- cumferential edge'portion of a lens, and thus serve to resiliently grip the latter. This construction enables ready insertion and removal of the lens in the ring, with reliable gripping action of the latter thereon; but owing to the inherently yielding character of the'material employed, and the required handling of the goggles in practically applying, removing,-and folding the same, it is important that provision be made to insure against possible distorting and loosening efiect upon the lens-gripping rings. This danger is avoided, as indicated, by reducing the material at 12 so as to provide a circumferential yielding neck connection between the mask-skirt b and the rear portion of the rings a. a, whereby the transfer of any otherwise distorting strains'to the rings due to manipulation in handling, is satisfactorily prevented.

distorting e'fiect upon the lens-engaging rings as above described, and such adjustment to the face being facilitated and improved by providing the. mask with a'semi-circularly turned facialcontact edge 15, which is specially adapted to conform to the face independently of any required bending of the maskand thereby supplement the latter informing a satisfactorily closed eye-cup chamber 0; which latter is required to properly secure a desired vacuum in the chambers as specially provided for.

The vacuum-producing means-comprises esextending rearwardly from the respective side walls of the mask and arranged in communi-; cation with the eye-cup chambers 0 through wall apertures 21; the openings of the tubular air-ways being preferably located, :3, shown, rearward of the ears of the wearer, ing. head-bands 22 conveniently serving to hold them against the head of the wearer, To enable satisfactory connection of such separately extendmay be readily modifled within the scope of invention as defined in the claims. I Y

formed tubular head-band parts 2022, each side wall of the mask is integrally formed with a rearwardly extending tubular connection 23, in which a flanged end 24 of the tube .20 is engaged, with the seated flange located in the ample space provided in the eye-cup chamber 0.

The tubes 20 extending to the rear portion of the head, are conveniently so held by the fiat buckleconnected head-bands 22. The openends of the tubular portions 20 may be provided with distending means 26 adapted to maintain the required tubular form when in service; and the mask-connected ends ofeach-tube 20 is preferably provided with an aperture-regulator 30,

the opening 31 of which into eye-cup cha her 0 is made ofany determined size to proper y control the degree of vacuum secured in the Chambers.

It will be seen that the very simply constructed goggles provided by our invention, insures at all times .tight'engagement of the easily inserted lenses in the engaging rings, and comfortable close contact with the face of the wearer, so that the improved means provided for insuring desired air conditions in the eye-cup chambers may be most satisfactorily operative; that these means enable satisfactory utilization of the rapidly passing air when the goggles are in service as indicated by arrow :1: Fig. 2, for'aut'omatically producing desired vacuum in the chambers, by suctional effect exerted thereby through the air-discharging tube 20 as indicated by arrow to insure proper retaining of the goggles and clearness of the lenses; and that this is accomplished without danger of interference with such functioning by adverse weather conditions, because of the location and direction of the air-dis charging tubes, and with capacity for free folding and any required handling when not ingservice. The preferred construction specifically set forth the What we'clalm is:

1. An integrally-formed goggles of elastic material comprising lens-engaging rings, and aconnecting mask-forming enclosed eye-cup chambers; the side walls of said mask having yielding face-contact portions and being formed with chamber-communicating tubes arranged to nor-' mally extend rearward from the respective chambers along opposite sides of the head of the wearer to produce vacuum in said chambers.

2. An integrally-formed goggles comprising lensengaging rings, and a connecting mask ,forming enclosed eye-cup chambers; the side-" wall portions-of the latter being apertured and provided with rearwardly-opening vacuum-pro ducing tubings adapted to normally extend rearwardly beyond the ears of the wearer;

3. Aviation goggles comprising lenseenga'ging rings with a-ccmiecting mask forming eye-cup chambers, chamber-communicating vacuumproducing tubes arranged at opposite sides to normally extend rearward from said chambers alongside the wearer's head, and a head-band 'to which the said rearwardly extending tubes aresecured. v a

4.'Aviation goggles comprising lens-engaging rings' and a connecting mask ,forming enclosed eye-cup-chambers, the side-wall portions of said chamber having vacuum-producing tube con,- nections, adapted to normally extend rearward therefrom in substantially parallel relation, and head-bands directly connected to said vacuumtubes." i

5. In combination with aviation goggles com-' prising lens-engaging rings and a connecting, mask forming enclosed eye-cup chambers eachprovided with a side-wall aperture, a head band having rearwardly opening, vacuum-producing tubular end portions secured to the respective apertured walls. I 1

6. Goggles comprising lens engaging rings; "a' flexible connecting mask integral therewith and forming enclosed eye cup chambers with face-' Y contacting edge portions adapted to substantially se'al said chambers, and goggle head bands provided with tubings communicating at one end with the respective chambers and extending along opposite sides of the head of a wearerwith their open ends disposed rearwardly to cause production of a vacuum in said chambers.

'7. Goggles comprising, lens engaging rings; a flexible connecting mask integral therewith and forming enclosed eye cup chambers. having sidewall portions provided with tubular portions communicating with said chambers, a portion of said mask conformingly contacting the' face of a 12G wearer to substantially seal said chambers; and goggle head bands provided with tubings engaged at one end in said tubular portions and extending along opposite sides of. a wearer's head to cause production of vacuum in said chambers by air passing the open ends of said tubings. I

\ FREDERICK WILLSON.

HARRY F. SHINDEL. 

